The Vicar of Wakefieldby Oliver GoldsmithA TALESupposed to be written by HimselfSperate miseri, cavete faelicesADVERTISEMENTThere are an hundred faults in this Thing, and an hundred things might be said to prove them beauties. But it is needless. A book may be amusing with numerous errors, or it may be very dull without a single absurdity. The hero of this piece unites in himself the three greatest characters upon earth; he is a priest, an husbandman, and the father of a family. He is drawn as ready to teach, and ready to obey, as simple in affluence, and majestic in adversity. In this age of opulence and refinement whom can such a character please? Such as are fond of high life, will turn 　

THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOWby Washington IrvingFound among the papers of the late Diedrech Knickerbocker.A pleasing land of drowsy head it was,Of dreams that wave before the half-shut eye;And of gay castles in the clouds that pass,Forever flushing round a summer sky.Castle of Indolence.In the bosom of one of those spacious coves which indent theeastern shore of the Hudson, at that broad expansion of the riverdenominated by the ancient Dutch navigators the Tappan Zee, andwhere they always prudently shortened sail and implored the...　

The Author of Beltraffioby Henry JamesCHAPTER IMuch as I wished to see him I had kept my letter of introductionthree weeks in my pocket-book. I was nervous and timid aboutmeeting himconscious of youth and ignorance, convinced that he wastormented by strangers, and especially by my country-people, and notexempt from the suspicion that he had the irritability as well as thedignity of genius. Moreover, the pleasure, if it should occurforI could scarcely believe it was near at handwould be so great thatI wished to think of it in advance, to feel it there against mybreast, not to mix it with satisfactions more superficial and usual.In the little game of new sensations that I was playing with　

THE CHILDRENTHE CHILDREN1- Page 2-THE CHILDRENFELLOW TRAVELLERS WITH ABIRD, I.To attend to a living child is to be baffled in your humour,disappointed of your pathos, and set freshly free from all the pre-occupations. You cannot anticipate him. Blackbirds, overheard year byyear, do not compose the same phrases; never two leitmotifs alike. Notthe tone, but the note alters. So with the uncovenated ways of a child...　

"SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER""SHE STOOPS TOCONQUER"by OLIVER GOLDSMITHA COMEDY.1- Page 2-"SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER"To SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL.D.Dear Sir,By inscribing this slight performance to you, I do not meanso much to compliment you as myself. It may do me some honour toinform the public, that I have lived many years in intimacy with you. Itmay serve the interests of mankind also to inform them, that the greatest...　

The Jerusalem Sinner Savedor, GOOD NEWS FOR THE VILEST OF MENby John BunyanBEGINNING AT JERUSALEM.Luke xxiv. 47.The whole verse runs thus: "And that repentance and remission ofsins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning atJerusalem."The words were spoken by Christ, after he rose from the dead, andthey are here rehearsed after an historical manner, but do contain inthem a formal commission, with a special clause therein. Thecommission is, as you see, for the preaching of the gospel, and isvery distinctly inserted in the holy record by Matthew and Mark. "Goteach all nations," &c. "Go ye into all the world, and preach the...　

My Buried Treasureby Richard Harding DavisThis is a true story of a search for buried treasure. The onlypart that is not true is the name of the man with whom I searchedfor the treasure. Unless I keep his name out of it he will not letme write the story, and, as it was his expedition and as my shareof the treasure is only what I can make by writing the story, Imust write as he dictates. I think the story should be told,because our experience was unique, and might be of benefit toothers. And, besides, I need the money.There is, however, no agreement preventing me from describing himas I think he is, or reporting, as accurately as I can, what hesaid and did as he said and did it....　

MEASURE FOR MEASUREMEASURE FORMEASUREWilliam Shakespeare16051- Page 2-MEASURE FOR MEASUREDRAMATIS PERSONAEVINCENTIO, the Duke ANGELO, the Deputy ESCALUS, anancient Lord CLAUDIO, a young gentleman LUCIO, a fantastic Twoother like Gentlemen VARRIUS, a gentleman, servant to the DukePROVOST THOMAS, friar PETER, friar A JUSTICE ELBOW, a simpleconstable FROTH, a foolish gentleman POMPEY, a clown and servant to...　

John Bull on the Guadalquivirby Anthony TrollopeI am an Englishman, living, as all Englishman should do, in England,and my wife would not, I think, be well pleased were any one toinsinuate that she were other than an Englishwoman; but in thecircumstances of my marriage I became connected with the south ofSpain, and the narrative which I am to tell requires that I shouldrefer to some of those details.The Pomfrets and Daguilars have long been in trade together in thiscountry, and one of the partners has usually resided at Seville forthe sake of the works which the firm there possesses. My father,James Pomfret, lived there for ten years before his marriage; and...　

AmphitryonAmphitryonTranslated by A.R. Waller, M.A.1- Page 2-AmphitryonPREFACEAmphitryon was played for the first time in Paris, at the Theatre duPalais-Royal, January 13, 1668. It was successfully received, holding theboards until the 18th of March, when Easter intervened. After the re-opening of the theatre, it was played half a dozen times more the sameyear, and continued to please.The first edition was published in 1668....　

FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENTHE WILD SWANSby Hans Christian AndersenFAR away in the land to which the swallows fly when it iswinter, dwelt a king who had eleven sons, and one daughter, namedEliza. The eleven brothers were princes, and each went to schoolwith a star on his breast, and a sword by his side. They wrote withdiamond pencils on gold slates, and learnt their lessons so quicklyand read so easily that every one might know they were princes.Their sister Eliza sat on a little stool of plate-glass, and had abook full of pictures, which had cost as much as half a kingdom. Oh,...　

NUMA POMPILIUSLegendary, 8th-7th Century B.C.by Plutarchtranslated by John DrydenTHOUGH the pedigrees of noble families of Rome go back in exact formas far as Numa Pompilius, yet there is great diversity amongsthistorians concerning the time in which he reigned; a certain writercalled Clodius, in a book of his entitled Strictures on Chronology,avers that the ancient registers of Rome were lost when the city wassacked by the Gauls, and that those which are now extant werecounterfeited, to flatter and serve the humour of some men whowished to have themselves derived from some ancient and noble lineage,...